CrushAlot wrote:Ron Ron just posted that the warriors rescinded their qualifying offer to Kuzmic.

Gives us an opportunity to sign him for 1mm per. I think he can fit in here he's got skills and he's 7-1

BRIGGS wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:Ron Ron just posted that the warriors rescinded their qualifying offer to Kuzmic.

Gives us an opportunity to sign him for 1mm per. I think he can fit in here he's got skills and he's 7-1

LivingLegend wrote:What about Jeff Withey.

The Pelican's already have Asik, Ajinca and just signed Perkins -- throw in A-Davis if they play small ball.

Withey will be 25 this season I believe and if anything may be able to provide a nice shot blocking presence as a 2nd or 3rd center option.

We may want a BIGGER Center, but he could play both PF and undersized Center and he is a VET
Some other options include

Andray Blatche/Larry Sanders though I think they would require more than the vet min, Blatche already has a contract that pays him about 3m in China, while Sanders is getting payed from the Bucks
However, with the cap rising much next season, it is possible some guys would take less in order to show case their talents with a player option for 2nd year

KJ McDaniels will have an affect on Thanasis's contract, the player must agree on the deal as well, so it is unlikely that he will sign a 3year deal that would pay him the minimum
We could also split the room exemption in to 3, making it 900k with raises, though it would only be useful with players with 0years experience, and will not be enough to secure a 4year deal, possibly not even 3years unless it is structured with most of it being guaranteed
I certainly would not sign Thanasis to a 1year deal like KJ McDaniels did, we need to sign him to a 2year deal at minimum and would prefer a 3year deal, as 2year deals could have a poison pill like Lin/Asik or Laundry Fields, while we may want to use our 2.8m room exemption elsewhere
Had we not SIGNED both Lou Amundson and Lance Thomas, we could have use that cap space to sign Thanasis and N Dour, offering the vet min for Lou Amundson or/and Lance Thomas instead

With Thanasis, we would have to use part of the room exemption to reward him on a contract that would pay him more than the 500k he is schedule to make
I think half of the room exemption at 1.4m with raises, would be enough incentive to sign him to a 3year deal, maybe 4years, with a team option on 3rd/4th year, full guaranteed 1st year, partial guaranteed 2nd year

Thanasis was a LATE 2nd rounder, to prevent future poison pills we would need a 3year deal, we would need to give him a stronger incentive to sign the min contract, as KJ McDaniels bet on himself by signing a 1year deal last season
Despite Houston not playing him in order to secure a multiyear contract that pays him 10m for 3years with a player option that pays him 5m in year 3, while he made about 500k his rookie season, drafted by Philly

Kuzmic would be one of the better young Centers available, though I am not sure if the vet min would be enough for him

Errick McCollum is a small scoring PG that could shoot

I thought that Jeff Taylor would have been a perfect signing for a 2year vet min deal to play with Galloway and Calderon, who could penetrate/facilitate and create/handle the ball with size/athleticism/speed to defend 2 maybe 3 positions
He just signed a 1year to to go play in Europe at 800/900k...

IMO, we should be adding players that could be part of our roster 5years down the road, and getting their bird rights and early bird rights at cheap deals, while developing the system and players in it to build chemistry as well
For that reason, I wouldn't want to sign 1year deals and watch the player walk away, as we need to develop players that understand how to play within the Triangle, so 2year deals would be at minimum without player options
However, what if it is someone like Larry Sanders at a 1year vet min deal? I guess that would be hard to pass up

helloharv wrote:Nate Robinson?

i am probably nate's biggest fan on this board, but he is far too undersized for the type of game fisher wants the knicks to play in half court. now if we are talking 10 mins of sprinting off the bench off a rebound, then it might be a fit.

in the half court though... he might get a little lost since he's not a cerebral passer.

I don't think the Knicks will go for any potential chemistry disruptive players. I'm not sure if they want retreads or if retreads make any sense. This is position 14-15 guys who need development guys who may be in the d league for portions of the season.

BRIGGS wrote:I'd try to lock in Kuzmic right now. I think he has some upside that hasn't been shown in the NBA. We need a true back up for Lopez as I think Oquinn will play some 4 .

While I agree we should lock Kuzmic, it would come down to price and years
I would prefer to have talents/players that we can lock in to at min 2years deals and not more player options on 2nd year, giving the player leverage to leave us
IMO, we need talents that we can BOTH KEEP and are WORTHY of developing to be part of our roster moving forward
I do not want to waste the time to develop players and have them leave us like Copeland, Lin, etc, which was why N Dour was worthy of using part of our room exemption for, especially if we look to sign Thanasis
Is Thanasis going to get part of the room exemption?
Will we be able to sign him more than a 1 or 2year deal with the way KJ McDaniels bet on himself?
Are we saving the room exemption for someone like Larry Sanders, Blatche, or a playmaking Guard that we lack that can create plays consistently? As we only have Grant that is a rookie with the ability to do so with consistency?

I am not sure if Kuzmic would sign a 2year vet min deal, though I can see him him signing a deal more than the vet min with most of our room exemption
While part of the room exemption would be used to sign Thanasis to a 3year deal, either fully guaranteed or partial guarantees and team option on 3rd
We want to avoid future poison pills at all costs, not wasting time/roster spots/ and the resources to execute a system and build chemistry that takes a couple of years to build
For example, 2.8m room exemption, with 1.8m and raises for Kuzmic on a 2year fully guaranteed deal or fully guaranteed 1st year, partial guarantees for 2nd year

With the way KJ McDaniels bet on himself with 0years of experience, it will likely form a trend for HIGH POTENTIAL talents, which Thanasis is on DEFENSE, with his weakness being shooting and could be taught, along with ball handling
On his 2nd year after NOT PLAYING AT ALL IN HOUSTON, Rockets still signed him to a 3year deal on a 10m contract, with the 3rd/final year being a player option of 5m
With Thanasis taking less money to learn under the Triangle as Phil Jackson requested, if we do not offer him a contract this year and having a starting salary of about 1m instead of 500k, it would be a slap in the face for the sacrifice he took to learn under the system
Thanasis's ceiling is much higher than Early's and he "FITS" a SG much more than Early likely will, along with his 1v1 lock down potential, high motor/energy, and ability to REBOUND AND BLOCK SHOTS from another position other than PF and Center
I think he would have fit very well with N Dour's game, along with Saunders or Wesley Johnson

I would like to trade Early for another young talent or an expiring and a 2nd round pick, who is a tweener between SF and not enough skills/speed and quickness to play SG
Early played mainly as an undersized stretch PF in college but he is a tweener that isn't translating on the NBA level

Phil may not be using the same criteria as you in determining the value of certain players. It'll be interesting to see who else is brought in for Training Camp.